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A Canadian in the Bush

Canadian Prime Minister Endorses George W. Bush

Canadian Prime Minister Jacques Cretien, accompanied by three cabinet ministers and twelve members of the Canadian Parliament, today endorsed Texas Governor George W. Bush’s campaign for the presidency of the United States.

The delegation from Canada, which also included former Prime Minister Brian Mulrooney, joined Governor Bush and First Lady Laura Bush for lunch at the Governor’s Mansion before announcing their support for his campaign in the West Garden. “This campaign is not only bigger than Texas, it is bigger than the United States,” Cretien said.

Cretien, who has served as Prime Minister of Canada since 1993, said it is unusual for a foreign head of state to endorse a candidate for office in another sovereign country. “National sovereignty on a continent that is home to several contiguous countries was rendered superfluous at Masstricht in 1991 by the European Community — and a similar process began when Canada, the United States, and Mexico signed the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993.” Cretien said he foresees a day when Canadian sovereignty is — by a bi-national agreement — subordinated to United States sovereignty.

“We live in a brave new age,” Cretien said. “Commerce, sports, and literature recognize no national boundaries so there is no reason that political campaigns should.

“There are National Basketball Association teams in Canada and an American team from Texas this year won the Stanley Cup,” Cretien said. “The provisions of the Walker McCarran Act that was designed to keep

undesirable foreign subjects out of the Unites States is no longer in effect, so Canadian writers like Farley Mowat can travel freely in the United States. A resident of Vancouver, Washington, can travel to Vancouver, British Columbia, to take advantage of low-cost, high-tech eye surgery, and Canadian Stanley Faulder can travel to Texas and be executed by medically sanctioned lethal injection. Clearly, our borders are becoming invisible.”

Cretien, who like Governor Bush is completely bilingual, praised the Governor’s effort to use his campaign to unite Hispanic and Anglo Texas. “The Governor’s expenditure of campaign funds in South Texas and El Paso had done a great deal to unite two cultures. It is a model that is admired in English-speaking and French-speaking Canada.”

Cretien also announced that he will serve in the Bush Pioneers, the growing group of financial leaders, mostly from the U.S., who have made the commitment to raise $100,000 for the Bush Campaign by enlisting one hundred thousand-dollar donors. Cretien will be raising funds in Canada, so the total amount raised, if he meets his goal, will amount to $140,000 (Canadian), due to the exchange rate between the American and Canadian dollar.

“I am honored to accept the endorsement and financial support of Prime Minister Cretien,” Governor Bush said. Governor Bush has the endorsement of more than 70 percent of the Canadian members of parliament.

Paid for by Austin Friends of George W. Bush Exploratory Committee, Inc.